Detectives will continue to explore the possibility that Mark Bridger committed offences against other children before he abducted and murdered April Jones, it has emerged.

Over the eight months since he was arrested following April's disappearance detectives have probed the background of the father of six to try to see if he carried out any previous offences against youngsters.

He has been close not only to his own children but to the sons and daughters of a string of partners. He also came into contact with children when he worked as a lifeguard at the leisure centre in April's home town of Machynlleth, mid Wales, and at an outdoor activity centre in the area. Dyfed-Powys police even spoke to colleagues in Australia because Bridger spent some time travelling there to find out what he was doing and who he was close to.

DS Andy John, who led the investigation, said: "We have considered all the children he potentially had access to. We've considered the safeguarding issues."

John said so far no allegations had been made but Dyfed-Powys police is conscious that other victims may come forward now that Bridger has been convicted. "It's something we will continue to monitor," said John.

Privately detectives are surprised that Bridger leapt from being a man with no history of any sort of child abuse to a child killer.

Bridger, 47, is being held in isolation because of concerns that he will be attacked by other prisoners as he begins a full-life term for April's murder. The police have no right now to go to him to ask him again what he did with April's body.

"I think when a child dies in an accident it's a terrible thing, but I think this is worse – the fact that we don't have her body. I don't think anyone will ever know for sure what happened to her – only him."

April's family will continue to be looked after by the police and a network of professional and volunteer helpers.

DS Hayley Heard, a family liaison officer, said: "We will always be there, family liaison officers, but we have sourced a group of volunteers and professional people who can support them following on from the trial.

"They have got a good support network of family and friends but sometimes I think you always need other help. But we will always be there to support them."

A "recovery group" involving agencies including social services and children's services has been set up by Powys county council to help others touched by the case. Among those who have been offered help are some of the 29 child witnesses the police interviewed, former schoolmates of April, members of Bridger's family and other residents of Machynlleth.

Susan Dale, who set up the Listening Point counselling and drop-in centre on the Bryn-Y-Gog estate where April lived, said it would be years before the town began to recover.

She said the number of clients, young and old, using the centre had increased hugely during Bridger's trial. "The last couple of days we have been reeling," said Dale. "But this is a resilient community. There's so much good will. We will stay together and we will build a safe place for our children."

Geoff Sherlock, interim head of adult services at Powys county council and the chair of the Machynlleth recovery group, said the authority had instigated the sort of emergency plan they use for a natural disaster like a flood to help residents cope. Sherlock said the recovery group would continue to be in place for as long as it was needed.